Changes in object relations following time focused group psychotherapy with women who experienced childhood trauma

• Main Author: Curtin, Geraldine Mary
• Published: Queen's University Belfast 2007
• Subjects: 155
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.486126

This study explored the changes in internal representations of object relations, interpersonal behaviours and psychiatric symptomatology before and after psychodynamic group psychotherapy with women who had a history of early childhood abuse. The design of this study was quasi -experimental. Seventeen participants in the treatment group and ten participants in the control group were investigated to evaluate the effects of therapy on (1) intrapsychic functioning; (2) interpersonal problems and (3) psychological symptomatology. Women with a history of childhood abuse were screened by clinical interview for suitability for the treatment progranime and participation in the research. One group participated in group psychotherapy based on psychodynamic principles including object-relations theory. The control group received no group intervention. Participants in both groups had been in individual therapy and were comparable demographically and in terms of . baseline performance on the dependent variables. Participants in both groups were assessed before the start of the therapy programme (Time 1) and one year later (Time 2). The specific objectives ofthe research were: 1) to measure intrapsychic,interpersonal and symptomatic changes using the PORT, Percept-genetic object-relations test (Nilsson & Svensson, 1999),Inventory of Interpersonal Problems-64 (IIP-64 ,Horowitz et al.,2000)and the Symptom Check List Revised(SCL-90-R, Derogatis,1994) . 2)' to compare and contrast treatment with matched controls on the measures used 3) to compare and contrast intrapsychic with interpersonal and symptomatic changes 4) to evaluate the effectiveness ofthe intervention. Participants who received group psychotherapy showed statistical and clinically significant changes on the Attachment theme of the PORT (Nilsson & Svensson, 1999) and this measure distinguished the treatment group from the control group more clearly than measures of interpersonal problems or psychological symptomatology The study supported the hypothesis that psychodynamic group psychotherapy leads to changes in personality structure as measured by the PORT that extends beyond shifts in manifest symptoms and behaviour as measured by the SCL-90-R and IIP-64.